My T42p's USB ports were running at USB 1.1, so I bought one of these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027Q4HXG/ref=oss_product The T42p i was using was a replacement for my original which would only past POST after a ram reseat. Anyway, I had been too lazy to do a fresh install (using my recover...

I just encountered the same problem on my IBM T42p (~6 years old), and fixed it by reseating the memory module. I'm not saying reseating the memory will fix any machine with 4x4 beeps, but it's worth a shot, and is certainly DIY-able. I’ve had the same startup problems (no video, but fan and battery...